Manitoba Aboriginal Affairs Minister Eric Robinson said Tuesday that a national inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal women may the only way many families will get closure.

However, Robinson told the Canadian Press that the federal government doesn’t view the matter as a priority.

“I don’t know what their policy advisers are telling them,” he said.

Federal Justice Minister Peter MacKay said in a statement that "our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Ms. Fontaine at this very difficult time."

But MacKay again rejected an inquiry.

"Now is the time to take action, not to continue to study the issue," he said.

In May, the RCMP issued a detailed statistical breakdown of 1,181 cases of missing or murdered aboriginal women between 1980 and 2013. The report said aboriginal women make up 4.3 per cent of the Canadian population, but account for 16 per cent of female homicides and 11.3 per cent of missing women.